To save an Assassin
by Tora and TheEvilestGirlChild
Summary: [AU] The fairies and humans live together in harmony. Except two. What happens when those two are thrown together on a strange twist of fate and must attempt the most daring jailbreak in history? Will they succeed,or will their differences tear them apart
1. To Meet A Bodyguard

Chapter 1: To meet a bodyguard

"Master Artemis, as your bodyguard I cannot possibly retire and leave you unprotected."

"No, Butler, you have to. As you get older your reaction time slows. If someone were to shoot at you, you could not possibly move in time to dodge the bullet. I could never live it down if you were to get hurt. I don't want to lose you again like the time at that restaurant with Spiro."

"Artemis, as the one who you hired, I have the choice whether I want to retire or not!"

In the next room, Juliet sighed as they continued to talk about Butler's imminent retirement in raised voices. This argument had been going on for days. Juliet was rather partial to the part of her brother, but... She had deduced from their numerous conversations that being part of this argument was not good for one's mental state. Therefore, she merely sat and stared stupidly at the television set until the argument subsided and the two males entered to sit on either side of her on the couch.

"Who won?" she asked them.

"Actually, Juliet, I did," replied Artemis from the right. Butler, sitting on her other side, growled, and muttered something too low for them to hear.

Artemis continued, completely unperturbed by this interruption. "Juliet, I would like for you to accompany me to find a new bodyguard. We should probably try the Guardians of Water Corporation, their training sessions just ended, so there should probably be some good ones. Green, perhaps, but still good."

Juliet pouted and said in a mock-playful voice "And what about me? The poor little sister would love to be the bodyguard to Master Artemis!"

Butler merely flicked a glance at her before pointing out that Artemis already knew her name, and had, most likely, grown too attached to her, thereby winning the argument.

The last week flew by, and Butler handed in his resignation. That very day, Juliet accompanied Artemis to the Guardians of Water Corporation building.

"Hello, and welcome to the Guardians of Water Corporations. We are happy to serve our esteemed guests. You are here for a bodyguard, I presume?" This question, asked by a well-groomed man in a business suit who looked about 30, was directed toward Artemis. He had barely noticed Juliet, who was right behind him.

She stepped forward and nodded. The moment that she stepped forward, the man in the business suit, who was oh-so-serious moments before, suddenly whistled low and said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "Well, beautiful young woman, who might you be? I would be willing to help you in _any way possible_." She slapped him. Hard.

Rubbing the new red handprint on his cheek, he stepped back into the serious young executive mode. "Now, may I show you the new arrivals?" Juliet merely nodded, face as hard and emotionless as stone. They followed him into the next room.

Once there, he dimmed the lights. This move made Juliet rather furious and she held up her hand rather threateningly in his direction. He quickly started the program, so she would see that he had pure motives. A hologram appeared in front of them, slowly rotating. She was a brown-haired human. Muscles lined her arms and legs, and her hair was braided and coiled. On her back was a quiver of arrows, and she held the bow in her hand. She was clad in deerskin leggings and tank top, and wore mid-calf length boots.

"Now this specimen," began the man, who had not seen fit to announce his name "Is top of the breed. Her name is Angela. Human, Native American, trained in both armed and unarmed tactics, best weapon is a bow" Juliet just shook her head, without looking at her young charge, who looked rather bored.

A young man with dog-ears and tail appeared next. The man introduced him as "Inu, Dog demon, Japanese, trained in all tactics, specialty: sword." Juliet merely shook her head.

Then a blond girl with white-feathered wings. "Veralidaine, Angel, European, and specialty: bolts of power, which she issues from her hands." Juliet frowned, so the man hurried on. They went through two more humans, a half demon, two wolf demons, another angel, a few dwarves, fairies, pixies, mages, sorcerers, and priests before finally hitting one that Juliet liked.

A brown-skinned, green-eyed faerie, she hovered about a foot above the ground on her iridescent wings. Her long, dark hair swirled mysteriously from a high ponytail, as if even her hair defied gravity. She wore an exotic cloth, cut modestly and sensibly, but still beautiful. Her name was Holly, and she lived in the underground city of Vroengard. She was well trained, better than most, and she could use magic and weapons especially well. Juliet nodded, sealing her fate, the fate of her charge, who was now sitting straight up staring at the somehow feral face of his new guardian.

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The bodyguard arrived at their door in about a week. She carried a duffel bag, and a weapons bag. Her sword hung at her hip, and her quiver and bow at her back. If one had looked, they could have found at least thirteen daggers on her person, and her hair housed five more lethally sharp knives.

Juliet showed her to her suite, and helped her unpack. She chattered for a while, giving tips as to when to avoid Artemis, who Artemis was, who Butler was, and never to go to the fifth floor without permission. She tried to continue the conversation, but her partner was completely unresponsive, though she had the feeling that Holly was silently listening and trying to understand her.

Finally, Juliet just showed her to Artemis' room. She knocked softly on the door.

"Yes, come in." said a voiced muffled by the wood.

Juliet gave Holly a wink. "You'll do fine." Then she left, her footsteps muffled by the carpet.

_I wonder what my new employer will be like. Oh, why did the Juliet character leave? Aaahhh... okay, I must open the door. No, I will just knock again... Okay, on the count of three, knock. Oh, no! What if he is some evil person, he did not look very interested at the introduction. Then, he did not know that we were all watching. Okay, 1, 2, 3. _

However, just as Holly was about to knock on the door, it opened, and inside the door stood Artemis. _Whoa, he is pale. What is he, a vampire? No, he does not have the aura or the physical attributes. He probably is just what he seems – a human boy. _She snapped to attention just as Artemis looked at her weirdly before saying loudly and slowly, as he would to a small child. "I just asked you a question for the third time! Do you not understand English?" _What is he thinking, of course I understand English! No wait I must calm down. I can't get fired on my first day. He's just a kid. _

"Sorry, Master Fowl, could you repeat the question?"

"No, it's too late now. Though I doubt that even if I did repeat the question you would be able to understand it. Clearly you are no more than muscle and have no brain cells at all up there."

_This kid is such a brat! Time to show him who's boss. _"Look here kid," she growled, "In my culture it's considered impolite to speak that way to your superiors."

Artemis smirked. "In my culture masters may speak however they want to their servants. _You _are the servant, not my superior, no matter how much older you are than I."

"Whatever. What do you want me to do?" Holly tried to calm herself down. He was only a kid after all. Albeit an obnoxious brat with a good vocabulary.

Artemis waved her away with his hand. "Just stand outside my door. I don't need you right now." And with that final comment he retreated back into his room, closing the door behind him.

Holly reluctantly positioned herself outside the doorway. Wasn't it against the rules to leave your charge in a room unattended? But he had ordered her to stand outside. And rule number one in the bodyguard handbook was: Always obey the orders of your principal.

She heard a door slam downstairs. _Juliet must be going out_, she thought, _she better be back by dinner. Artemis may request me to cook for him and I can't cook. _


	2. An Assassin Betrayed

Chapter Two: An Assassin Betrayed

As she walked out of the manor, Juliet Butler pulled a black handgun out of her purse and clipped it to her belt, checking to make sure that her weapons were within reach.

She had tried to live an honest life ever since her wrestling tour ended. At least, as honest as she possibly could. Everyone has his or her dirty little secrets. And Juliet was no exception.

She was an assassin.

And no one else knew.

It was her secret. And she had shared it with only one other: a fellow assassin, named the Phoenix of Ice.

She remembers the first time someone approached her with a job offer. It was just as her wrestling tour ended. He approached her outside the stadium. She had just finished her last match and she was waiting for Butler to pick her up and drive her back from the manor.

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_He was short for a man, only about 5'6". He had a slight build. Juliet could have taken him down with one hit. Though he was short, he still had an aura of power about him. As he strode towards her, he smoothed down his dark brown hair. He had the menacing eyes of a criminal. Juliet became more cautious as she noticed he was moving towards her. _

_He started with small talk. He told her he liked her moves, said she had talent. At first, she was wary, but as the conversation continued, she warmed up to the stranger. _

_That is when the conversation became more serious. He explained that he owned a small business down the street from here. He told her she would be perfect for his type of business. He could hire her right away, and she would make tons of money. _

_Before he could go further, Juliet saw Butler pulling up. She told him she had to go and he gave her his card, telling her to call if she was interested. Juliet slipped the card into the pocket of her sweats. She doubted that she would ever call, but it was always good to keep her options open._

_As life continued at Fowl Manor Juliet found herself becoming bored. Every day was the same. Wake up, make breakfast, watch TV, practiced martial art forms, make lunch, work in garden, practice martial art forms, read, make dinner, watch wrestling, take shower, go to bed. Frankly, she was getting tired. And every day when she woke up and before she would go to sleep she looked over to the desk drawer where the man's business card lay, hidden underneath layers of papers. _

_At first, she was not even that interested. She had her own life. Eventually, it became more and more tempting to just pull out that card and call. Then, after a particularly boring day, the desire became nearly irresistible. After all, she just had to find out what this 'business' was. She didn't have to take the man up on his offer. There were no strings attached. She wouldn't agree, would she?_

_No, no, of course she wouldn't. Dom wouldn't approve of her applying to jobs offered by a shady, unknown, character such as this. But day after day, that little temptation increased. Juliet finally could not stand it anymore. If it offered a break from her monotonous life, she would take it, no matter what it was. As long as it was something different. _

_After lunch, she rushed up to her room. The card was where she had left it, in her desk drawer. She frantically pulled on the handle, almost ripping the drawer out completely. With her hands, she tossed the papers aside to the floor, uncovering the card that still lay hidden beneath them. _

_Ten digits were written on the card. 377-852-9762. with a shaking hand she pulled out her cell phone from her jean pocket, flipped open the top, and dialed._

_It rang twice, and then finally she heard a man's voice on the other line. It was him, the one who could offer her her freedom, if she so chose._

"_Hello, may I help you?"_

"_Hi, it's me. The girl from the wrestling tour." She said nervously. _

"_So you decided to take me up on my offer, did you?" He sounded amused. _

"_Y-yes. Now if you would tell me what type of business you do?"_

"_I run an eraser company."_

"_Eraser… company?"_

"_Yes. My employees specialized in 'erasing' certain people of the face of the earth, if you know what I mean."_

_So he employed assassins to kill people for other people. "Yes. I do."_

"_Will you join me? You could be rich. And talents such as yours shouldn't be wasted." His tone was very convincing. _

_Juliet thought for a moment. She didn't need the money of course. What she needed was the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline rush that would make her forget about her life at Fowl Manor. What she needed was this. She would do this. _

"_Yes."_

"_Then come to my office tomorrow. I cannot discuss this over the phone."_

"_I'll see you then." She was about to hang up the phone when the voice stopped her._

"_And one more thing, call me Boss. What is your name?" He waited expectantly while she thought about it. _

_If she used her real name, they might be able to track her to Fowl Manor, putting everyone in danger. She would have to use an assumed name. "Call me... The Jade Princess. And as you wish, I shall see you tomorrow, Boss." The man, Boss, hung up the phone, leaving Juliet alone with her thoughts._

_Juliet slumped down to the floor and sat there for a minute. She took a moment to calm herself down and assess the situation. What had she just done? She had sold her soul her soul on a mere whim. Or at least it felt like she did. When you entered the 'business' the only way you left was through death. She should know. It was how her mother had died years ago. _

_She smiled to herself. Well at least she had something to look forward to tomorrow. _

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That was three months ago, but she remembered it like it was yesterday. Ever since then she went out four times a week, doing various 'jobs'. It was an exciting lifestyle, and the pay wasn't very bad either.

Over the past few months, she rose through the ranks, quickly becoming the second best assassin in Ireland. Who the best was, Juliet didn't know. But she did know she would beat her someday too, just as she beat everyone else. She was a Butler after all.

As she got in her Jaguar and drove off, her thoughts drifted over to her brother, Domovoi. He knew nothing about her trips. All he knew was The Jade Princess had entered the ranks of the elite.

It took her thirty minutes to reach her destination. It was a five star hotel on the outskirts of Dublin.

As she pulled into the parking lot, Juliet reviewed her assignment in her head. Erase the Secretary of Defense. He is currently staying on the eighth floor, room number 816. My name is Janet Parker. I am reserved at the hotel for two nights. Room 828. Two hours from now I will strike. Tonight the secretary will take dinner in his room, where he'll be unguarded and alone.

She parked the car and got out. Juliet unlocked the trunk and pulled out a single black suitcase. Closing the trunk, she slipped on a pair of black sunglasses. The sunglasses would hide her identity from any security cameras hidden in the hotel.

Juliet took off towards the hotel, careful to keep her gun hidden underneath the gray sweatshirt she wore.

The design of the hotel was very modern. It was all steel and glass. The landscaping was tastefully done, with plenty of water features and plants. _Although_, she thought as she passed the fifth fountain, _it might have been a tad overdone._

The inside of the hotel was decorated a bit more warmly. The furniture in the lobby was made of dark hardwood, and the plush dark red carpet muffled her footsteps as she walked over to the main desk.

She was handed her key and made her way to the elevator. It was to the left, past the bar.

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Juliet flopped down on the bed of her hotel room. The room was small, but she wasn't going to stay for long. She had a job to do.

She looked at the clock. Ten of six. She had ten minutes. Juliet rolled off the bed onto her feet. She stripped off her sweatshirt and jeans, revealing a black, skintight stealth suit underneath. She tied her blonde hair back in a ponytail to keep it off her face.

Juliet made her way over to the Plexiglas sliding door that lead to the balcony. This way would be easier. She didn't have to pick any locks.

She climbed onto the rail of her balcony, took a deep breath, and jumped, landing neatly on the railing of the balcony next to hers.

She continued to jump from balcony to balcony, counting off the rooms as she went. 822, 820, 818, 816.

She was here. Pressing her face against the glass, she peered inside. The Secretary of Defense had his back turned to her, watching TV while eating dinner on the bed. This was going to be easier than she thought.

The balcony door was unlocked, so she silently pushed it aside and made her way over to secretary.

Her footsteps made no sound on the carpet. She pulled out a knife and prepared to stab her victim. If she had used a gun, the shot would make too much noise, possibly attracting security.

"Hold it, Miss Parker. Or should I say, The Jade Princess." Said a deep voice from behind.

Juliet felt the cold steel of a gun against her flesh. _Okay, _she told herself, _don't panic. You can take him. A deep voice usually means big, but you've been trained to take down people twice you size. You can take him._

The Secretary on the bed whirled around to reveal that he wasn't the Secretary after all, but merely another guard. He was brandishing a gun, and it was pointed at her.

"Jade Princess, you are under arrest, under the charges of attempted murder." Said the guard on the bed. He reached inside his suit and pulled out a police badge.

_All right, so there are two of them. I can still take them. No big deal. _

That's when twenty more guards burst through the door, all of them pointing their guns at her.

_I'm screwed._


	3. Phoenix of Ice

Chapter 3: The Phoenix of Ice

Butler walked up to Artemis's room, face as pale as Death. "Excuse me, sir, but these are Master Artemis's private rooms," Holly interjected. He merely ignored her and entered the room. She followed, curious as to the reason that would cause the face of the normally calm ex-bodyguard to pale so drastically underneath his tan.

"Artemis..." Butler said. That was all. Then he just stared, his eyes nearly dead. As Artemis was rarely an emotional kind of person, he had absolutely no clue as to what to do with himself. "Butler... please have a seat," he said, gesturing rather nervously toward the couch. Butler made no move. Artemis finally just stood up, and, grabbing his bodyguard, went to sit down. He finally looked at Holly, "You can have a seat too." She nodded stoically, and chose a rather nice spinning chair sit in.

After she had settled herself, Artemis returned his attention to Butler. He tried to be gentle, saying, "Butler is something up?" Unfortunately, Artemis is rather horrid at being gentle, and ended up asking Holly for help. Holly slapped him. Not too hard, but hard enough to wake him out of his temporary stupor.

"They have Juliet!" Butler suddenly shouted. Artemis jumped. Holly blinked. "Who?" "The police, that's who, she was arrested for the attempted murder of the Secretary of Defense, as well as the murder of several others, including the President of Northwest Airlines! She is an _assassin_!" Artemis freaked, in his own way. "What do you mean; she killed the President of the Northwest Airlines? Didn't he die in a freak accident?" Butler sighed, suddenly losing all his anger. "Yeah... the freak accident was caused by Juliet."

They all sat there, looking dejected. Artemis suddenly had an unnaturally bright change of mood. "Well then, we will just have to rescue her. We as in Holly and I, of course." Holly and Butler both gasped. One was blabbering about being left behind ("She is after all my little sister") and the other was like, I don't want to become involved in your family politics!

Artemis stated his reasons first to Butler: "Butler, I know that you do not like being left behind" – Butler growled in agreement – "But, for the good of your sister, I think it would be better if you stayed behind on this one. What would Juliet do to me if you weren't around when she got back? She would kill me!" Butler nodded miserably.

"Holly, you are my bodyguard, you are supposed to protect me _no matter what_." Here Holly interrupted him, "Yeah, but I was _not_ trained to, to, to... break people out of high security prisons! I expected to follow behind an executive the rest of my life, pushing people out of his way. Maybe _one_ assassination attempt. _Not breaking a girl out of jail!_" " Holly, these are my orders. No one would ever know that it would be us! I thought the thrill of the chase would be enough incentive, but how about a pay raise, oh, let's say, an extra million for this." Holly glanced at him, eyes glowing at the prospect of more money. "Two mil." "Deal." They shook hands on it.

"So _how _are we going to do this?" asked Holly, all business with the prospect of money on her mind. Butler nodded, "I have a friend that I want you to meet. Her name is the Phoenix of Ice, and she is an assassin. The Jade Princess was second, the Phoenix is first. Personally, I think Juliet can never come close to beating her. Don't tell her I said that though, she likes to think that, as a Butler, she can beat all odds. I agreed... until I met the Phoenix."

Juliet woke up in her cell, number 4-0-3. That was all the information she had been able to glean. She didn't know where she was, or who the names of the people she were with were. She could describe the interior of the building in perfect detail. In a world where information was power, she had to start at the bottom of the ladder. Literally. A definite bad thing.

Absolute monsters surrounded her. _Really, _she thought_ all brawn and absolutely no brains, figures. That I should be surrounded by blockheads_. No one that she couldn't take out if she tried, but if they got her surrounded, and everyone was there... well, let's just say she would go down fighting, but go down she would.

_I am definitely screwed. Butler is going to kill me... that is, if I ever get out of this hellhole. Which is highly unlikely. Even the men are shying away from me, as if I carry a disease. I am probably going to be killed. BUT NO ONE IS GOING TO SAY THAT JULIET BUTLER WENT DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT. No way. I will find a way out of this mess, I will if I die doing it, I will not die rotting here in a cell! I swear upon my mother's grave, and mine. _

Little did she know that, halfway across Ireland, three others had already made that vow.

Artemis and Holly were going to visit the Phoenix of Ice. She was rumored to possess powers beyond those of any other species, and had used these powers to avoid detection. Butler handed Artemis a paper. It said _765 Icewood Lane, Fireton. _"That's her address, memorize it, and then destroy the paper." Artemis took out a lighter, and set it on fire. Butler winced. "No! Not that way!" Five seconds later, just as the flames reached the ink, a loud boom was heard. "Drat it!"

Butler sighed, "Well as least she knows that we are here..." Immediately a door opened to the side, and an elegant Japanese lady stepped out. She wore flowing silks, and both her hair and her skirts seemed to flow, despite the fact that there was no breeze. Her ears were slightly pointed, and the tiniest of wings sprouted from her back. She looked exactly as her title said she should, exotic, and somehow, feral.

Her arm guards held sharpened knives, and she held a _naginata_ in one pale, delicate, hand and a bared sword in the other. She the picture of an exotically beautiful female, and somehow inhuman, yet not truly of any other race. Even Artemis, who normally had absolutely no reaction whatsoever to beautiful females, gaped. Butler merely nodded at her, and Holly's eyes widened slightly before she breathed out, making a _whooshing _ sound.

The Phoenix's eyes were riveted onto Holly. _You... _Her voice was soft, yet powerful. _I know you..._ Holly's eyes widened even more before she responded in the same language that the Phoenix spoke. _Shinko? _At the same time, the Phoenix responded, _Yuki? _The two woman flew at each other, seeming at that moment the same, yet very different.

One was dressed in flowing silks, and the other in a skintight armor. They hugged each other, whispering in that strange language. Laughing, the Phoenix beckoned them into her home. _We have much to do, and little time to do it. Juliet has already been transferred into the high security prison. _Butler and Artemis stopped, absolutely shocked at this revolution as the same though passed through both their minds _How does she know this? _Holly, or, apparently, Yuki, just laughed, and Artemis had never heard her do, and responded affectionately _You are still as omniscient as ever, are you not, Princess? _

Butler stopped Artemis before entering, saying, "I have never seen the Phoenix like this before. I believe bringing Holly along was a _very_ good thing. Normally, the Phoenix might have refused to help. But she seems to know already, and therefore, she may accept our proposal. Also, just one thing, do not ever hope to tempt her with money, she will just get mad at you. Remember."

When they entered the house, Holly and the Phoenix were already sitting there, chattering away in that language. They were both now calm and serene, and cold. _Shinko, I am known as Holly now. I am no longer Yukimi no Diargma. _Shinko nodded, _I know, as I am no longer Shinkokami. These days, I am nothing more than an assassin, the Phoenix of Ice. _She shrugged, _at least I am still famous!_

Artemis watched this exchange with little less than complete fascination. Finally the two women finished conversing, and the Phoenix turned and addressed the group. "You may call me Shinko, despite that no longer being my name." Her English was slightly accented, giving it a lilting kind of sound.

"I suppose you wish to know what I may do for you, and how I may help you. I refuse to travel with you on this mission, but I will do all I can to help you, in between the odd job." Butler grunted at the sound of the words _the odd job_. He, as well as the others, knew very well what that meant. He was not pleased. Shinko glanced at him, before continuing to assess each of them in order. "But I must warn you, the path which you have chosen is long and hard. You may grow weary on your way upon it, but it is worth more than your lives that you continue it. For even a moment's pause can cause you death and capture."

"I have what you need."


	4. Artificial Intelligence

Disclaimer: Neither Tora nor I own Artemis Fowl and company. It belongs solely to Eoin Colfer.

To Save an Assassin: Preparations

"Don't forget to reprogram the maps of the prison into those GPS systems I gave you." the Phoenix of Ice reminded them.

"I believe this covers it then." Artemis said. He snapped his briefcase shut, hiding the various documents and articles of the prison's security system that the Phoenix gave them.

The Phoenix of Ice patted Holly gently on the shoulder. "Good luck, my friend."

"Thanks."

Butler cleared his throat. "Well then, shall we go?"

"Yes, yes of course." Artemis turned to the assassin. "Thank you for your trouble. I promise to put these documents to good use."

"Just rescue your friend. That is all the thanks I desire." She bowed.

The Phoenix walked the trio to the door. She leaned against the door frame, watching them walk off towards Butler's car. She continued to stare down the street several minutes after the car departed. Someone else was there. She could sense it.

She started to head back inside, when suddenly there was a sharp pain in her neck. Her body went limp, and she dropped like a stone to the ground. She shakily raised a hand, grabbing at whatever had pierced her neck. It was a dart. And judging from the dark lavender liquid oozing from its tip, this dart had been pumped full of a deadly poison.

"Who…?" was all she managed to get out, before she lost all control of her motor functions. Her vision became blurry, until it failed altogether. The assassin felt exhausted. There was no explanation on why her body was so tired, she reasoned, she hadn't gone out in several days. But…if she was so tired, she should take a nap. It didn't matter if she was lying in the dirt, she would die in a few minutes anyway. Why not die while she slept? Her oncoming doom would be painless then.

Painless sounded good. The Phoenix of Ice closed her eyes, falling into a deep eternal sleep.

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The Phoenix was right, someone had been watching them. The mystery pair in question was standing a top the roof of an apartment complex several buildings away. The shorter of the two lifted a dart gun off his shoulder, balancing on the edge of the roof.

"Ha! Did you see that? She didn't even struggle. Just laid down to rest." He yelled in excitement. A breeze whipped through the air, tousling his matted amber hair.

"You should push the dart gun back a little, we don't want it falling off the building." The taller man warned.

The boy dismissed his partner with a short wave. "So what if it falls. I'll just catch it. It doesn't matter if I go down, it's not like I can die or anything. Look."

The amber haired boy jumped off the roof, falling twenty stories to the ground. The man rushed to the edge to the roof. "Hey!"

"What? I'm okay." The boy was lying on his back in the middle of the sidewalk. His arms were stretched behind his head. He grinned at the older man.

The man ran a hand through his black hair, rolling his eyes. "Just because the government manufactured us to be indestructible, doesn't mean we should be attempting suicide every chance we get."

"All right then. I'm sorry." The boy apologized. He jumped to his feet and bared his fists. "Now, let's do what us bounty hunting robots were designed to do; go and find the Jade Princess's accomplices Artemis Fowl II and his bodyguard Holly what's-her-name!"

The man sighed. "You have way too much personality to be artificial."

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"Holly, may I ask you something?" Artemis looked at her. They were back at the manor and, after programming the prison's security and blueprints into their Global Positioning Systems, the duo were ready to head out again.

"Yes, sir?" Holly clipped a utility belt around her waist.

Artemis gestured to her wings. "How did you get those? I thought you were an elf, and the last time I checked my research, elves did not have wings."

Holly sighed. "Before I entered the bodyguard industry, I decided to undergo a genetic mutation. It's a common procedure where the patient is injected with DNA from another species. It always helps to have an edge over the competition, eh?" She winked at him.

Artemis scowled at her friendly gesture, and turned away. "Well, are you ready to go? I don't intend to keep Juliet waiting."

"I'm ready."

**Tora: Next chapter the climax of the story will truly begin! Stayed tuned for To Save an Assassin: Chapter 5! **


	5. A Bit of Fun

Disclaimer: Neither Tora nor I own Artemis Fowl and company. They belong solely to Eoin Colfer.

Summary: AU the fairies and humans live together in harmony. Except two. What happens when those two are thrown together on a strange twist of fate and must attempt the most daring jailbreak in history? Will they succeed, or will their differences tear them apart?

TheEvilestGirlChild: Sorry for Tora's _incredibly_ short chapter. I was trying to make up for it, but then I realized that I was going too far in depth and that some of this has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual plot line. I hope you are satisfied with this, and hopefully Tora will have the next chapter out within two weeks or so.

Chapter Five: A Bit of Fun

Juliet squirmed. She had been in this stupid prison for two days now, and she was still sitting all by her lonesome. She gave the cafeteria a cursory glance and added another thought: she had nothing. Zip, Zilch, Nil, Nada, Nothing. Of course, she knew nearly everything there was to know about this damn hole in the ground, but that couldn't help her at the moment. Her gaze swept the room once more, settling on a few people. Some of them were assassins, just like her. Some others were members of foreign espionage centers. Once, she would have scoffed at their incompetence. Now, she watched them, hoping beyond hope that they knew something that she didn't.

There was a small group of girls who always sat together, usually bent over diagrams of some sort. They were always clean, unlike many of the other inmates. She had briefly toyed with going over to sit with them, but, when she had gotten close, she had realized that they were talking about everything and nothing, and that the subjects changed on a dime. Instead, she now watched them from a distance. She knew that one of them went by the name Pichu. She was thin, as were the other girls. Her most prominent feature was her one eye, which seemed to be a fake, but was probably real. It was a shocking blue, the kind you only see in the best of doctored commercials. Another was Pacifica. Like Pichu, she seemed to be Oriental, most likely Chinese or Taiwanese, but possibly Japanese. She wasn't quite sure. Like most of the other girls, she was predominantly Asian. However, when she shifted, you could almost feel red sparks weaving in and out of her hair.

There were other Asian girls too, all with shocking tints of color somewhere in their faces. Though she had no idea how they had gotten there, she admired them. However, there were a few girls who looked rather more normal. More human, if one were to think of it that way. Though, really, she had no idea as to why some of the girls seemed _less_ human. Anyhow, she knew that one of them was called Redhairedfreak, though she had no idea why. Her hair was a rather normal shade of brown. Of course, Juliet had never had the chance to look very closely at Redhairedfreak, or she would have noticed the rather oddly shaped birthmark that she had on her wrist, shaped like a tear drop, and colored like blood. But that's beside the point.

The point is that, while she was preoccupied with watching those odd females, who seemed to float instead of walk, a gang of large males had snuck up around her. They wore torn wife beaters, and even more torn pants. She looked away, and up at the face of the one she randomly decided was the leader. Fortunately, she had guessed correctly. He was ugly. Correction – he was _very_ ugly. He had slightly crooked teeth, and straggly hair that was neither the color of mud nor the color of wheat, and was therefore absolutely horrible. He placed his hands on the table and leaned down. A detached part of her mind noted that he was holding a spork, and commented on the absolute stupidity of designing something that was to be used as a substitute as both a spoon and a fork, but was actually useful for the functions of neither.

The rest of her consciousness counted heads and decided that she was overmatched. Cold steel filled her eyes and she smirked up at him. "Yes?" He leered at her, "Hello, Princess. How are you doing on this fine autumn day?" She raised an eyebrow in a cynical manner, "Why, I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much." The _creature_ in front of her raised an eyebrow in return, "No thanks necessary. In fact, I was hoping very much for the opposite." In the blink of an eye, he had reached out, preparing to strangle him. Instead of blocking his attack, she opted for ducking, knowing that she could never match him in brute strength.

He signaled for his friends, and the detached part of her brain noted that the cafeteria was nearly silent. They leapt on top of her. She kicked and ducked, hoping beyond hope that she could find somewhere safe. She saw a fist traveling toward her face, and, knowing she could neither duck nor block, winced. The impact never arrived. Cautiously, she opened her eyes. It was as is time had stopped. Pacifica stood in front of her, the man's fist cradled in her hand. Pichu was standing at her back, holding another man's fist, with her foot pressed firmly against another's spine. Redhairedfreak was standing in a perfectly balanced position, along with nearly half a dozen other girls.

Time started once more, and she noted dismally that the girls were protecting her, in some strange way. They moved in perfect sync, and, very soon, the leader stood alone. Pichu, Pacifica, and Redhairedfreak walked up to him, very calmly, as the rest of the group looked on. Pichu turned to a red-eyed girl, and Redhairedfreak turned as well. Sighing, she walked over and looked up into his face and gripped his chin firmly in her hand. She looked up at him and fluttered her eyelashes flirtatiously before leaning in to whisper in his ear – Pichu and Redhairedfreak looked suspiciously blank – and daintily raised her hand, slapping him across the face and propelling him all the way across the cafeteria. He slammed into a wall and she turned to Pichu, hooking their arms together. "You'd think they'd learn." Noticing that the rest of the cafeteria seemed to be busily staring at them, she flapped her hands, "Go ahead and eat. I don't bite."

This, of course, caused a chorus of low chuckles. She fisted her hands and propped them onto her hips, amending her statement, "Much." Pichu nodded approvingly. "If you say so…" As one, they turned to Juliet. Pichu stuck out her hand, talking very quickly, "Hi, I'm Pichu. You're Juliet. It's very nice to meet you. Sorry about not greeting you sooner. We've been trying to put down that group for a while, but they haven't given us a good excuse for quite a while." Juliet stuck out her hand, appreciating the fact that she could feel the calluses on the younger girl's hand. "Yes, I'm Juliet. I appreciate your help." She turned to leave, but a soft-spoken green-haired girl touched her arm. "You do not have to leave. From now on, you can be one of us, if you wish."

Juliet thought it over and nodded. "And you are?" The green haired girl nodded and beamed, "I am Effeminate." Juliet raised her eyes at the odd name, but the girl chose not to elaborate. She turned to the four girls that had not been introduced. "The girl red eyes is named Femme, and her twin is Fatale. The only way to tell them apart is that Fatale had darker eyes and lighter hair. Do you see the girl standing in the shadows? She's Minx. And the last one, the silver one?" Juliet nodded, "Her name is Renee. The most conventional of all of us, at least in terms of names."

Fatale slid up to her, "It is very nice to finally meet you. We have been watching you for weeks now. It is good to finally meet the girl behind the mask. Please feel free to ask us for anything, should you need it." Femme nodded her face, which was an exact duplicate of Fatale's. "Perhaps you should like a change of clothes?" Juliet glanced down and grimaced. Pacifica glided up alongside her, adding, with a small grin, "And a bath?" Looking her over, she added, "With lilac, and maybe a spritz of rose." Turning to the rest of the group, she looked them over with a critical eye. They groaned, "Yes, Mother, we are fine." Pacifica sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "You can't blame me for being worried!"

Minx glared drolly from her corner, and Pacifica made a small noise, possibly of frustration. "Never mind. Forget I ever cared, and show Juliet to our place." Juliet watched in curiosity as the small group swarmed around her, forcing her with the inexorable force of a wave toward the exit of the cafeteria. They stepped out and turned left, as their movements turned suddenly more predatory. She could have imagined it, but she was reasonably sure she didn't. _Anyway_, she thought, _this is a prison. We are protected by some of the highest technological advances of the century. Nothing whatsoever can go wrong here, right_? Effeminate would have laughed at her, if she had heard that thought. Fortunately, she didn't. Or, if she did, she gave no notice of it.

The girls walked down a long hallway, past various cells. Juliet noticed that Pacifica gave longing glances toward each of them, and made sure to walk as close to the cells as she could, ignoring some of the dirt that seemed to rub off onto her. Effeminate walked closer to her, muttering, "Don't mind her. She's just too tenderhearted for her own good." She winked, "She makes a very good nurse, doctor, surgeon, medic, and whatever else you need!" Juliet got a feeling of rather forced happiness. A calming aura swept toward her. She glanced up to see that Pacifica had appeared alongside her silently. She smiled softly before floating off once more.

They turned off into another corridor. The guards glanced up at them briefly, leveling their guns at them. Juliet started, tensing. Femme and Fatale smiled seductively. The guards put down their guns. They walked on, stopping at a rather conspicuous door. Juliet stared, "This can't be your 'secret"?" Minx cast a single glance at her, and then stepped to the fore of the small procession. Instead of walking to the door, she stood less than a foot to the left of it, brushing her fingers against the door. "We aren't humans." The girls laughed, baring small fangs, "We're hybrids. Human-Fairy hybrids, to be exact."

Juliet smiled, "Would you happen to know someone named Holly?" Pichu fixed her with an approving smile, "It's good to know that you already know of us. We suspected, but some are rather… oblivious to the fact that they share this world with others. Many others, in fact. It's safe to say that Pacifica is a Guardian Angel-Human hybrid." Juliet watched Pacifica with a small smile. "It's good to know I'm not alone." Femme and Fatale smiled, speaking in unison, "We have been waiting for you. Now, you will help us escape, when you're brother comes for you, no?" Juliet smiled, "Of course."

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"Which prison did you say that was, Artemis?" Artemis glanced over at Holly, who suddenly looked slightly ill. "The Ryu. Why?" Holly blanched, "I have some… friends there. Friends who I owe a large favor to. Several large favors, in fact." Artemis raised his fine, light, "Why?" Holly smiled sadly, "They saved my life. In fact, it's probably a safe gamble that Juliet is in very good hands at the moment." Artemis frowned, letting his worry show through for a moment. "I've heard that the guards and inmates there are very rough." He didn't like the pause between the last two words. They showed something he didn't want seen. Something he didn't even know.

Holly smiled, unaware of his inner turmoil. "They are," she assured him, "But my friends have them wrapped around their little fingers. Literally." She moved ahead, leaving him to wonder how exactly that had happened, and what exactly she was talking about. He wasn't often confused. He didn't like the feeling.

He sighed. Ever since Juliet's disappearance – no, her arrest, his mind amended – he had been feeling these foolish _emotions_ altogether too often, in his mind. He didn't want to admit it, but he missed the cheerful girl, who he loved… As a younger sister, right? Right, of course… On account of Butler being one of his best friends, right?

He tried to ignore the feeling that he was lying to himself. And rather badly, too.

Last Notes: Ryu means dragon in Japanese. Wouldn't you love to know why the prison is named that?


End file.
